A FATEFUL fortnight starts today for Manchester City as the Blues look forward to two games which could make or break their season.

FATEFUL fortnight starts today for Manchester City as the Blues look forward to two games which could make or break their season.

After tomorrow night's trip to Middlesborough, comes the home clash with Tottenham Hotspur next Saturday, and a week later a local derby against a Bolton side which has had its best-ever start in the Premiership.

Win both, and Christmas comes early for Kevin Keegan. Lose and the City boss will know how Bob Cratchit felt before Scrooge had his turn for the better.

It seems City have finally found their feet and now is the time to make a push up the table and who knows what might lie ahead after that ?

Tottenham went through a similar period a few weeks ago.

They got off to a great start but have not had the best of times since Jacques Santini left and Martin Jol came in. That is no reflection on Martin, who I know very well after playing with him at West Brom for two seasons, and I am sure he will be trying his best to turn things around again after the disappointment of going out of the Carling Cup.

He is the type of coach who will not settle for second best and it really is refreshing to see a manager who still thinks about going at the opposition even when his side is not winning games. Martin looks for attacking options rather than taking a defensive approach and I admire that.

Spurs will feel they are equal to City but I feel home advantage will count a lot next weekend, which is why I am tipping the Blues to win.

The same applies a week later when Bolton stand in the way.

While some sides seem to fear playing against Big Sam's side - especially the so-called big boys - City apparently have no major problems.

They turned Wanderers over twice last season scoring six against them at the COM and there was a fairly special goal in the win at the Reebok too!

Bolton will be out for revenge as well as trying to show that the tremendous start they made to this season was no flash in the pan.

Before things got underway Sam Allardyce told me he would settle, there and then, for a place in the top 10. I haven't been surprised by the way Bolton have played since they got off to a flyer against Charlton on day one, but have to admit that my eyebrows were among those raised by those draws with Manchester United and at Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as their wins over Liverpool and Newcastle.

That is impressive by any standards and no mean feat considering Sam would be the first to admit that he went into the season with not perhaps the ideal squad.

It shows what can be done with commitment, organisation and a will to overcome all the odds.

Big names are not all it takes to succeed and I think a lesson that every side which has played against Bolton has discovered this season - even those who have had some success - is that you have to be disciplined at set plays.

They work on that a lot and it is no coincidence that they have scored so many of their goals from free-kicks, corners and long throws.

They also have players who are brave enough to put their head in where others might not even risk a boot, and that is something City have to be aware of at the end of fateful fortnight.